Conveyor systems can be employed to route small articles through a series of work stations and such systems frequently include a pair of parallel conveyors that operate in opposite directions along with a connecting or transfer mechanism which transfers articles from one conveyor to the other.
In many conveyor systems it is important that the orientation of the articles on the conveyor system be maintained as each article is transferred from one conveyor to another, meaning that the same end of the article should be leading in the direction of travel on all conveyors.
In the past, various types of transfer mechanisms have been employed to transfer articles from one conveyor to the other. In one type of transfer mechanism, as used in the past, a series of tapered rollers are arranged in a semi-circular or curved path and driven either by a gear or chain drive, while in other types of transfer mechanisms, articles are transferred from one conveyor to the other through use of a rotating platform. However, most transfer mechanisms, as used in the past, have incorporated a separate drive, which has been separate from the drive mechanism for the conveyors.